ONE HUNDRED AND ONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21136, 19 March 1932, Page 13

ONE HUNDRED AND ONE.

PORT ALBERT CENTENARIAN. MR. INGER'S BIRTHDAY. MEMORIES OF THE EARLY DAYS. Living with memories which bridge the reigns of four British sovereigns, Mr. Thomas Inger, a resident of Port Albert, Kaipara, \vi 11 celebrate his 101st birthday to-day. Mr. Inger was one of the original Albertland settlers and as the unofficial " father" of (lie Kaipara district, will bo in receipt of many congratulations. His many friends have mado arrangements to celebrate the occasion suitably. Born in Nottingham in 1831, Mr. Inger, as a young man, was trained in England for a farming life and he was invited by Mr. W. R. Brame, founder of the Albertland Settlement, to go to New Zealand In assist in its management. Mr. Inger came out in the ship Matilda "Wattenbach, the first of the Albertland vessels to arrive in Auckland.

Land could be purchased almost for a song when Mr. Inger arrived. He recalls that he was rowed across the harbour to Devonport by a man who charged him five shillings for the trip. On the other side of the harbour, however, he was offered manuka-covered slopes at half a ciown an acre. He was also offered land on the present site of the Public Library, but his destination, he said, was north of the growing town. In the early days of the Port Albert settlement, the route from Auckland was to Rivcrhead by water, overland to Helensville and then up the Kaipara Harbour In the site of the settlement. Mr. Inger was placed in charge of the boat which took the settlers from Helensville to Albertland. party camped the first night near Mairetahi and after a few days' wandering about the Ivaipara estuary they made a landing near the mouth of the Hoteo River. At one spot where the party went ashore, two of the prospective settlers were lost, but eventually they reached their destination with the others.

I'lio hardships of the early settlers are vividly recalled by Mr. Inger. He made frequent journeys on foot to Mangawai, 24 miles from Port Albert, each journey taking two days. It was a case of sleeping out in the fern for one night each way and on many occasions Mr. Inger carried a sack of flour with him on his

return journey. Mr. Inger brought the first cow and the first horse to the new settlement and these notewoithy " events" were suitably celebrated at the time. In 1870 he was appointed district constable, retiring in 1894. Mrs. Inger died several years ago, Mr. Inger's family consisting of 11 children, 36 grandchildren and 44 great-grand-children.